It Was a Dark and Strormy Night- Halloween fic, for contest
by Snowingroses
Summary: All Hallows Eve is less than 24hrs away. The Autobots and the human femme Kami find themselves suddenly rushing to put on a Masquerade Ball for lost travelers, who won't make it to their destination and their first Masquerade ball. Unbeknown to the bots of the femme they haven't made it in over twenty years. And what other secrets are they keeping from the femme and bots?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: The standard disclaimer applies, I am loosely using Amp Machines, Delphi, and other automotive / electrical parts company names. Do not own Transformers, and I have been dutifully informed to keep the wire cutters to myself, and the repairs to a minimum. All I have to say is Ratchet is such a kill joy. He'd be amazed what I am capable of… **

**This is my fic for a Halloween contest. Main bots you can expect to see.**

**Ironhide, Ratchet, Jazz, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, / OC civilian sassy southerner Kami Ford a wiring engineer. Need your Autobot / car rewired. She's your girl. With occasional appearances from Wheelie, Brains plus the Twins Mudflap and Skids **

**The is some language**

**There is nothing like a ghost story or two just to tease the human femme's imagination on All Hallows Eve. Seeing she thinks she is too old to celebrate Halloween any other way but working.**

**But suddenly work doesn't seem so important when strangers traveling to an out of town Halloween Masquerade Ball need recusing and shelter. Now with only slight prodding from Bumblebee, Kami and the other Autobots create their own Halloween Party for the four young children, so they won't miss another year of celebrating. Unbeknown to the bots and the one living human the others aren't living and haven't been for over twenty years. Do the two young adults know something about Kami even she doesn't know? Or is she only a living apparition to them, on **_**This 'Dark and Stormy Night'**_**?**

* * *

"It was a dark and stormy night." She'd heard that line before and thought no kidding as another round of thunder and then lighting crashed across the sky. Turning she saw none other than Epps, a couple other guys from Lennox crew, Sideswipe and of all the other bots Bumblebee. Yeah this wasn't going to be good. It never was when they kept stealing glances in her direction.

She shrugged hoisting the harness she had been working on, up a little higher with the hopes she would be finishing this one up before she was either made to vacate her personal shop / home or leave off working on it due to the fast approaching electrical storm. _If Ironhide got his way about it, she would have to leave._

The incoming bad weather spawned from two hurricanes just kept belching up rain and tornados one right after another. As of right now that was why Lennox's crew and several of the Autobots were currently in her personal area. It wasn't like they didn't come to her shop. They did, they were welcomed there, and in fact in true to her heritage southern style she always welcomed them. It had become legendary that the human femme always set a place for them at her table and if she didn't offer you anything. Iced tea in particular she was mad at you.

That was why she'd become a blended piece of the Autobots lives. She had been teasingly been referred to as Ratchets female counter part though she was a lot cuter by human standards and much gentler. She after all had been a civilian wiring engineer with the military, under contract of course but she'd proved her worth to the Autobots. Thus far she was the only human they had let intimately work on any of their kind.

Just to make sure she knew where everyone was she swiveled in her chair in the other direction until she could catch sight of Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet and Lennox. Nope it wasn't going to be good, she thought again going back to another branch on the harness running her fingers through the wires that still required termination. She gave the two groups one last thought. Yeah, they were trying to figure out where to send her and with whom to send her with the impending bad weather.

Ironhide always had one sensor dedicated to her whereabouts and any task she might be undertaking even if it was with another of his Autobot brethren. It wasn't that he didn't trust them he did, but this human femme much like the Lennox femmes just needed his protection. So he knew she'd paused checking her surroundings, or more accurately seeing who was where and was there any possible threat. _Good girl. He smiled to himself._

Stealing one last glance in his direction she gave Ironhide a dirty look just for good measure, before turning back to her laborious task at hand. He on the other hand only snarled at her in return. She shrugged she could really get the last word in edge wise if she wanted too. All she had to do was stick her tongue out. It was that simple, at getting the last word. It drove him nuts. Instead she let that innocent smile creep across her lips as she popped both ear buds in and softly sung along to the music as she worked.

"Lennox make her go with you. Sideswipe and I will come along." Ironhide commanded.

_Yeap! He wasn't in the mood to be playful, with the human femme._

Will only grimaced glancing up at the large form of Ironhide. He seriously thought he could just order her- Kami to go home with him to his family farm to weather out the impending storms.

Optimus shook his head. "Ironhide she is not going to be forced to leave her home."

Ironhide shrugged. "Fine, Lennox ask her to go home to your family with you. Then if she refuses, I will bring her along."

"Force you mean." Ratchet threw in. He held up a hand before Ironhide comeback. "I know, I am just as aware of the dangerous storms coming in as you are. But this is her home; this is where she feels the safest. As of right now I have to agree with Kami, she is just as safe here as she would be trying to go somewhere else."

Not to be deterred Ironhide mentioned the upcoming human holiday. "Remind her of this holiday All Hallows Eve."

"I did and you do not want me to repeat her long winded response." William Lennox gave a little shake just thinking about it. _He would have sworn she'd even used at least one Cybertron dirty word on him, in native tongue no less._ _Yeah they were rubbing off on her._

* * *

Ironhide gave a little shrug Optimus, Lennox, and his men had been gone for well over an hour so yeah, apparently the human femme was going to weather the storms out exactly where she sat. Whether he liked it or not. _And he didn't like it._

It didn't matter this still could be used as a teaching lesson for a certain recklessly flashy Autobot.

A private comm buzzed Ironhide's processors. "Reflecting how young and reckless you once were? When your only desire was war and to fight?"

Ironhide opened the private link to Ratchet. But held his peace for several more beats.

Finally he spoke. "He has potential, he just needs to learn to channel that energy without endangering everything."

"You see a younger version of you?"

Ironhide let his optics only slightly slide towards Jazz.

How the slag did the little silver ecowarrior know they were having this conversation and how had he joined in?

"No." He grumbled. "I see a good Autobot with much potential waging a personal war. If he isn't reined in he could become no better than a Decepticon."

"And?" Jazzed probed.

Ironhide glared at the wicked little bot as he took up a place near the human femme. He knew he would not hurt her. He was simply driving home yet another point.

"No!" Ironhide had responded over the comm.

Jazz flicked Ironhide a wicked little glint. He knew full well the large warriors view of the younger Autobots like Sideswipe and Bumblebee. He also knew his drive to protect the humans particularly their younglings and the femmes. And every ounce true to his nature he was always possessively on guard.

"No the young human femme has not made you soft at all, in fact you're a bigger pain in the stern now than before."

_There would be retribution for that later_, Ironhide mentally noted.

"So what do you propose for our eager young Sideswipe? I mean after all there isn't enough space for training and besides the other twins aren't back yet." Ratchet inquired through the comm.

"It is also raining, torrents." Jazz chimed in just to remind Ironhide he still hadn't closed the link.

_Oh yes Jazz was on a roll_.

Sideswipe watched Bumblebee and the human femme out of sure boredom. He knew full well why Optimus had heeded Ironhides request to leave him behind. He did have to admit he needed to learn more control after the last fiasco. If Ironhide had not came after his aft. Optimus would have probably off lined him and with good cause. He had not been any better than the Decepticon he had been after.

Bumblebee now there was a bot that loved to watch and enact with humans. Everything was one big fun learning experience. Even apparently when the humans tried deep freezing his aft he had taken little offense to it. If it had of been Sideswipe himself, oh he would still be pissed. But not Bumblebee, he was over it.

The femme Bumblebee watched showed little fear of him. He decided it was just mainly his bold combative nature that made her nervous. She'd even made efforts to interact with him. He acknowledged her, but he just wasn't as comfortable with her as with the military men he served with. What did you after all talk to the femmes of this planet about, she wasn't military and never really had been. So she would know nothing of combat strategy or combat itself. There for he had no reason to talk to her. Right?

* * *

The storm was moving faster now, gaining ground. Another wave of thunder rolled over and over. Soon, all too soon the lightning would begin popping around. The human femme only had maybe a matter of minutes possibly 25 or 30 minutes before it would be on them.

"Kami. Perhaps you should go ahead and finish up your task." Ratchet suggested as he turned listening to some distance sound still too far out for the human femme to hear or even begin to know of.

No he thought now she would not have that earlier figured time. She might have 5 minutes if the next coming strike didn't run the power line.

Too late it was running the line. She let out a little yelp as a power surge hit the old amp terminal crimping machine she'd been working. She jerked her foot away from its feed pedal and pulled her hands and the harness branch into her lap. She could only hope she wasn't touching anything for the electrical current to flow on through her. She really did not want to be shocked and she wasn't sure what it would do to one of the very near standing Autobots. Personally that was something she did not want to find out either.

A breaker snapped off causing the buzzing amp machine to go dead. Meaning that danger was over at least for a few minutes maybe.

Sideswipe watched on awe as the femme hopped up disabling other varying pieces of equipment. To him it really didn't make a lot of sense if the equipment wasn't automatous. He was beginning to see why Optimus said humans contradicting species.

"Well I guess work is over for the day." Bumblebee chirped out in a variety of radio voices.

"Oh indeed." Kami nodded as she begin pulling the large bulky harness into a large wooden crate.

"Kami, why do you persist at laboring towards this?" Ratchet sweep his open hand around the room indicating a motor block, still in its wooden crate, along with the transmission in another steel and wooden crate, and several crates of harnesses the human femme had been assembling.

She had moved over to a shelf returning unused items to little cubicles. She looked up at Ratchet without giving it a second thought she answered in only a way she could with that southern drawl.

"We have to build or construct our vehicles. So how do ya'." She paused looking for the correct wording or maybe she realized too late she'd slipped into her southern slang. Whatever it was she picked up right where she left off. "How do you create your kind?" She'd even given a little wave of her hand, indicating any one of the Autobots.

Ironhide almost choked. For some reason he just knew she was about to say reproduce. Jazz did choke up. _Served the little smart-stern silver bot right_. Ironhide thought darkly.

Bumblebee went wide eyed and so did Sideswipe. Kami on the other hand was waiting for an answer looking up at each of the bots trying to figure out why they all suddenly went quiet.

Ratchet recovered first. "I assure you it is not through such primitive forms of construction such as your undertaking. No it's a bit more complicated than that."

"Really?" She responded in a complete picture of human femme innocence.

Ironhide was mentally chiding her. _No, No do not encourage him._

Ratchet arched one metal brow. "Yes, well you see with Cybertronians.."

That was when Bumblebee bumped the shelving and things began raining down, toward the fragile human femme.

Jazz had been the next closest so he'd sprang into action pulling the fleshling towards him covering her from anything that might have impaled her or otherwise harmed her in any other way. Most everything harmless bounced off Jazz plinking to the ground but there were a few bigger pieces of equipment that could possibly get close to the harming the fleshling. Sideswipe swatted them away.

During the raining down of parts and equipment the storm had settled in slamming the ground with tremors of electrical current and roaring thunder. Leaving most of what Ratchet had said unheard by the femme's ears. Ironhide was grateful for that. He wasn't sure about the younger of the bots though. Bumblebee had several millennia to go before he really had to get that talk, Sideswipe on the other hand- well he probably had input for Ratchet. _That could get scary._

"Everyone okay? Bee, you alright, Jazz?" Kami inquired from beside Jazz.

"Alright. Sorry for the mess." Bumblebee chirped.

"All good, and you chica." Come Jazz's reply as he edged Kami out from behind him and safely clear of the shelving pasting her to Sideswipe where Ironhide would get ahold of her and chide her. For once Sideswipe was pleased it was not going to be him being chided, but then Ironhides chidings included a training lesson just to make sure the participant understood the point he was making. Sideswipe felt a twinge guilt for the poor fleshling, Ironhide wasn't above ripping a pound of metal off his fellow Autobots. So he wondered what he was going to do to her. She really didn't look like she could afford to lose a pound of metal never mind flesh.

"_You!" _Ironhide wagged a finger and snarled at Kami. _"Do not encourage him." _

She started to say something but he cut her off by wagging a finger at her again.

"Trust me, human life is much too short for you to be given an induction to verbal torture Ratchet style." Jazz murmured.

Ironhide nodded his agreement.

" 'Sides,_** 'you'**_ are not old enough, for that talk anyway." Jazz added just to make sure she got the point.

She visibly blushed and snapped her opened mouth shut.

"Are we measuring that, by _The Cube_ old or _Ratchet old_?" Sideswipe inquired as he joined the other two Autobots and left Ratchet to extract Bumblebee.

"I am hearing all of this." Ratchet snarled from where he had just about finished freeing Bumblebee.

Ratchet debated the merits of completing the spill, he'd began, but realized belatedly part of his audience was a young human femme. So perhaps it wasn't such a good idea after all to explain to her the finer points of how their young come about.

"No kidding." Jazzs slash of blue optics flashed towards Ratchet.

Apparently the cheeky little silver chatter bot had an open link to him too.

"_Do not press your luck!"_ Ratchet rumbled as he stalked past the small cluster.

* * *

Over twenty years earlier in the same lonely stretch of highway, that the shop was now located on another harsh bout of weather belted out similar storms conditions. The rain, lightning, and wind made road visibly as good as impossible. But the group of deaf travelers pushed on with ever intention to either drive out of the horrible weather or finally find a safe shelter to weather it out.

It was already hard to communicate and drive, but now it was impossible. The driver had both hands glued to the steering wheel his eyes looking dead a head into the blinding nothingness of rain, wind and lightning.

A female aged approximately 20 years sat next to her mate the driver a young male who was about the same age as the female. In the back of the transport van, restless and weary of the storm, a group of four children took turns soothing the wailing infant nestled between them.

Though they were all deaf, both the girls and boys knew the baby was wailing by the way the mouth kept popping open and tears were streaming down the rosy colored chubby cheeks.

They kept trying to assure the baby they'd soon be to the Halloween Masquerade Ball, then everything would finally be alright. But infants even those born into deaf families do not understand signs meant to be reassuring. All they know is they are unhappy and they want to either stop hurting, be feed, changed, or rocked to sleep and currently the baby wasn't getting any of what it wanted.

The driver jerked against the wheel wrestling it, away from the swelling rain water flooding the roadway. But it didn't matter the road had melted away leaving a gaping maw of black nothingness filling with cold muddy water.

The van was suddenly going over, tumbling slowly, painfully into the black nothingness. Mouths flew open, as strangled unformed screams tumbled outward from the woman, as she tried to wrench herself loose to either reassure the children they would all be alright or to hold them in their final moments left on this earth before the rain stole away their lives.

Somehow she knew there was no need to comfort her mate. He was already gone. She'd felt his ghosted breath across her cheek as his neck snapped. His passing was instant. Now it was just her, and the five children ranging from a four year old girl, to her five year old brother to the eight year old boy and the ten year old girl, and of course her three week old baby daughter. And less she forget the cold wet water seeping into the van. She wanted to scream and wail. Why, why were they going to die like this? They'd escaped so much, now to be entombed in a hole with frigid swelling rain water.

She swept the brother and sister up to one side of her. A sad little pair they were, born into a family who wasn't ready for children and certainly not deaf ones. She reached out pulling the other boy and girl to her. The girl lost her hearing in an accident and the boy from Scarlet Fever. She looked on at her baby daughter, still safely strapped in a car seat. She had stopped crying but looked as though she would start wailing again any moment.

* * *

Present

Ratchet sighed, as another crash of thunder followed by the lightning made the human femme flinch, let out a little squeak, and inched just a little closer. "You have nothing to fear from the thunder. But now the lightning, do you not know the taller beings are at a greater risk of attracting lightning."

Ratchet was shortly rewarded with Kami's retreat from his side to plastic chair, where she curled up in it. She let her eyes sweep around the shop looking for something to do that wouldn't get her electrocuted and kept her from being bored. Maybe she should have taken Lennox and Epps up on the big Halloween Party the guys wives were cooking up, not that she would admit that to Ironhide. _He would never cut her any slack over that one. _

Letting her eyes roam around the shop she spotted Bumblebee, Sideswipe, and Ironhide clustered together around a monitor. No wait the monitor was Brain, she realized as she heard him spitting out more data about another newly approaching round of thunderstorms.

She shifted letting her gaze go to the far corner of the shop where she thought she spotted rain sweeping under the bay door. That could only mean the run off drain was clogged and if that were the case. Well she was about to incur a whole lot of water damage she couldn't financially recover from without assistance, she was not about to ask for.

"Uhm ya'll." She spoke while checking out what she suspected was water.

Oh yes it was water. She grabbed a jacket.

"Hey guys." She stalked over to Ironhide. Jazz fell in beside her.

"Storms are getting heavier." Bumblebee chirped.

"Yeah, no kidding. I think we got a stopped up storm drain." Kami jerked her thumb back over a shoulder towards the offending water steadily growing in the floor.

Ironhide cut his optics in her direction and then on to the offending water. He grumbled something to Sideswipe about checking that drain out.

"Oh man, oh man." Jazz kept watching the radar. "We are about to get really slammed that looks like tornado cells."

Bumblebee nodded his agreement.

* * *

The wind slammed against the bay doors causing the smaller human door to slam close then swing back open.

Ironhide jerked to full attention. "Where is Kami?" He let his optics search around the building space, to no avail. Already his sensors were stretching out a little further touching the femme in question he was so concerned about.

"How the slag, did she get outside." He growled following behind Sideswipe as he'd already started toward the human sized open door.

* * *

If she just reached a little further she could almost touch the tree branch that was probably clogging up the drain or maybe not. She thought morosely as she watched another piece of tree covered in grass lodge into the branch.

Jazz clicked the locks off as Ironhide effortless shoved the bay doors open to the outside, the swelling storms, and just the in the distance the human femme he was searching for.

"Kami." Jazz called to her, but the wind ripped her name away never letting it reach the femmes ears.

"In coming." Sideswipe pointed to a drifting tree headed directly towards Kami. But she wouldn't see it, her back was turned.

"Sideswipe, Jazz-" Ironhide was already barking orders, as his cannons powered up. "Get her out of there, I am going to stop that tree."

No one saw the limb skimming along under the water, until it took her legs out from under her. She wasn't going to clean the drain out, oh no she was about to be sucked down into it. No her mind screamed she was going to drown, that was how she was going to die.

She slapped and reached out grabbing for anything to stop the pull of the water from taking her any closer to hungry consuming drain. She felt her elbow to her palm drag over asphalt, she gasp and sucked in half the filthy water going to the drain. _Okay well maybe not half of it but her lungs were sure swearing to it. _

Jazz and Sideswipe made their way toward the femme who was still unaware of the approaching danger. Suddenly she wasn't there, just like that the undercurrent had taken her. Jazz turned communicating with Ironhide to hold off firing the femme had been swept away.

_Just a beat later_

"Now" Jazz commanded Ironhide as he, the femme, and Sideswipe made their way safely back away from the swelling drain.

* * *

"Exactly what did you think you were doing?" Ratchet let a disapproving glare fall on Kami before looking at her arm.

She let her gaze slide to the other side of Ratchet. Ironhide was waiting albeit not too patiently to get his go at her, to the other side Jazz waited his arms akimbo. Beside him Sideswipes pose was almost the same.

She tipped her head back to find Bumblebee. She was certain he was frowning at her. _Boy it was going to a long evening. _

"I was going to clean the drain out, it wasn't that big of a deal." She tried to sound tough.

"_**No- Big – Deal?" **_ Ratchet snapped. Wow, Kami didn't see that one coming, she was certain it would be Ironhide growling that at her. Though there was still time.

"_**You could have **__**suffocated by submersion."**_

"Huh?" Nope Kami definitely did not see that one coming. Okay so maybe she'd rather explain to Ironhide her reasoning behind what she had done. At least she thought she knew how he would response.

Kami skulked up the stairs to her shower. She was cold, wet, tired, her chest still hurt, and whatever the balm was Ratchet took great pleasure in smearing on her arm was burning like a coal of fire. She thought infection be damned she wouldn't have that to worry about it and probably not her arm much longer if she didn't get that stuff off and soon.

Ironhide was right Ratchet took great pleasure in using medical treatments to inflict pain as punishment. She sighed okay, so truthfully he was only actually doing it for her own well-being but, he could have at least found something that didn't burn as bad. Like the elixir he had her to drink. It didn't burn, in fact her chest wasn't burning and had almost stopped hurting.

* * *

A couple of well resounding claps of thunder chased by brilliant lightning had her practically tumbling down the stairs. At least she was back in dry clothes even if she was still chilled to the bone.

"So there you are." Wheelie muttered as she neared Brains computer form.

"Yeah. I'm here. What'd you think I am crazy enough to suffer the wrath of them, again?"  
She jerked her thumb towards Ironhide and Ratchet.

"Never know, your kind doesn't always exhibit all the smarts you boast of."

She wanted to pick a wrench up and whack him up side of the helm but, she didn't feel Ironhide or the others would approve of that action so instead she did the next best thing.

She showed him her hand, her pinky finger the only one extended.

"What? Seriously? Wrong finger." Wheelie scolded her.

She turned on him her eyes narrowed to slits. "The effort is only worth a feather. Not a full blown bird."

"That's my girl." Jazz cheered her.

It was a short lived cheer. Ratchet, whacked and chided him for teaching the human femme bad habits.

What Ratchet didn't realize was said human femme knew other signs for swear words and all without Jazz's aid.

* * *

"So what's going on, with the weather?"

"It's not the weather currently that concerns me." Ratchet eyed Kami.

She sat on the corner of one of the work benches, doing a little of her own eyeing.

"Seriously Ratchet, that burns. It hurts like… like hell."

"Are you whining?" Ironhide inquired.

She cut her eyes to him. Was he enjoying this?

"Yes. I am whining. That stuff hurts. I swear I have been stabbed before, that is a freaking cake walk to that." She pointed as Ratchet neared her with the dreaded balm.

"Why don't you go inflict your torture on someone else 'sides me."

"Let it be a lesson not to wash it off. It would have stopped burning shortly, now you have it to do all over again."

"Shortly? Like shortly what timeframe are we talking? Next week, next year? That hurts."

"What is the favorite human phrase, please Sideswipe?" He smoothed the balm from her elbow to her palm.

"Suck it up, cupcake!"

_She was going to beat the brakes off Ironhide and Bumblebee both for laughing. _

* * *

She was annoyed with the whole lot of them. Why didn't she just agree to at least go to base?

But her annoyance didn't last much longer as more storms moved in and Brains scanning systems went nuts.

"Hey anyone else seeing this?" Wheelie called out as Brain transferred the incoming data to the 32" flat screen Kami sometimes used for movie watching but more often used for studying wiring schematics.

"What is it?" Bumblebee chirped.

"Yeah, what is it?" Kami pushed between Bee and Sideswipe.

"Surveillance scans of a five mile radius. For defense purposes." Ironhide replied his optics following the unfolding events on the monitor.

"Five mile radius, defense. For what, or who?" Kami had went wide eyed. They scanned her home, her property. For what.

"For Decepticons, you don't think they wouldn't love to murder you?" Sideswipe spoke brashly. He meant to make her understand how many real dangers were actually out there.

She felt a goose walk across her grave. He was right, they would love nothing better than to kill her same as any of her human kind. But what put her at the top of their hit list was who she had chosen to aligned herself with.

Bumblebee felt the chill of fear run its course through her body. Both his and Sideswipes movements were stealthy as they repositioned to better protect her should the need suddenly arise.

Ironhide gave a pleasing nod. Sideswipe was getting better, though he already knew which one would go into combat and which one would run with the femme.

"So again, I ask what is it?"

"Looks like- fleshys. Brain zoom in closer." Sideswipe commanded.

Kami gasp. They were fleshys. No they were humans.

"Where are they exactly?" Her mind was already racing. The roads were flooding. She knew they could just as easily be swept away even in the van.

Brain zoomed in closer. The look of sheer fear etched onto the faces moved all the present Autobots.

"They are approximately two miles out."

"Ratchet, Ironhide. Please we can't leave them out there. They could be swept away." Kami turned seeking out the two Autobots she'd just called by name.

She was already searching for her keys to the brute of an old truck sitting outside.

Brain was still zooming in on the van, he'd never seen anything like these humans. They were solely communicating through hand gestures and they had smaller humans with them. No doubt offspring or younglings.

"Please, Ironhide." Kami was begging now. "They are deaf and have babies with them.. I mean ah, younglings." Her mind was racing trying to remember how Bumblebee explained what their babes and small children were called.

Sideswipe had never actually seen the fleshy tearing up in an emotional state until now. He could feel his mentor's emotional shift at the sight of the fleshys distress. He felt his on emotional state beginning to shift at the distress she was displaying as did every other Autobot in the room with her. He for one personally didn't like the feeling, it felt like what? Like a warm enveloping flood, pushing and ebbing at his spark. It was a disgusting feeling, he couldn't no he didn't want to describe. It made him feel- grr he didn't like the fleshy she was a mass of organic material that was fragging with his sensor chips.

_Suddenly he'd thought darkly why had he plucked her from the drain. Frag Ironhide and his fleshy pet..er friend? He'd have to get away from her, or he'd be wanting his own before long. Ugh!_

He now begin to understand why sometimes the fleshy would disappear off to her small personal space of a private room, alone. Or when she would wonder off alone to the tree out back or go for personal walks. She knew her emotional state effected them, and it heavily effected Ironhide in particular. Slag it, she was annoying.

"You cannot go out there by yourself, you will never make it." Ironhide reminded her.

She nodded swiping at tears that threaten to spill over.

"And I would like to remind you both they appear to be deaf not blind. So you must not expose yourself, unless it is dire circumstances." Ratchet added.

What was left to the private comms among the Autobots was that unless their current human femme was in danger no one was to break transformation.

What none of the Autobots present or the human femme they were keeping company with realized was all the occupants save one had died well over twenty years ago on this same lonely stretch of road. In another very similar storm.

* * *

In closing I must applaud you if you happened to notice there was 7 people in the van in the 20 yr ago scene. And now suddenly there are only 6 counted for when they are detected by Brains scanning. Those 6 are ghost- the seventh the infant didn't die in the flood. I would also like to point out Sideswipe is having difficultly deciding if he likes the human femme Kami or not, in the closing here he isn't to big of a fan of hers at the moment. Cause her tearful emotional state as you will well see effect the Autobots.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I have intentionally ruffed up the OC Kami, just a little bit. There by to show the varying degrees of an Autobots nature as compassionate protectors, guardians, they are after all more than just warriors.

I am sure I am being completely abusive of Sideswipe and his nature, but from the research I have managed I think he is a hellion, probably much like Ironhide in his younger days. So I decided to have Sideswipe waging a personal inward war as well as the one they are all waging. He is still here undecided if he can stand the human femme as of yet. I think they will create a tolerable bond, but that has of yet to be sorted.

I will be using the American Sign Language -ASL- signs here in this fic when I do write the motions and signs between the characters.

And because this is a Halloween fic, even if I am writing slower than dirt. The other OC's are not only deaf, they are dead. Yeah kind of weird the 'Bots not figured that one out. -maniacal laugh here.- So hopefully you'll figure it out or well you will know by the end of the fic why. Which I am hoping will fit neatly into one more possible two chapters. After all I haven't written in the dreads of Cybertrons gene pool twins yet.

** Finally I would like to say thank you to the favorite /follower. carscarsfanatic. Thank you.

* * *

There was only the briefest discussion of which Autobot was going out after the trapped humans. There were really only two built for the sort of rough conditions, so either Ratchet would go out, or it would be Ironhide.

Bumblebee and Jazz both let it be well known they weren't happy about having to stay behind. Sideswipe wasn't happy about it either, but neither was he too happy with the human femme at the moment either. Frag it, she still had his sensors tore up, if she didn't calm down.. He'd- yeah he'd what? He already taken to snarling his disapproval. Not that it was doing anything for the feeling in his spark. It still felt like the ebbing and flooding. Much like the waters that lapped at his lean frame when he'd retrieved the human femme earlier.

What did he care what she thought? He for sure as slag did not care what she felt. It was nothing to him. Which brought him right back around to the same problem why did her leaking lubricant problem from her optics make his spark go berserk. Frag humans all of them and especially the one with whom he was being forced to reside with right now.

There was a thump at Sideswipe's helm, and then Jazz faceplates come into view. "Cool it, the little femme is stressed enough without your snarling."

"She is stressed? Is that what the frag it is called?" Sideswipe let his private comm buzz Jazz.

"Please by all means settle her down."

There was another thump followed by Ratchet's voice over a private comm. "Stop snarling then."

_Twice, really? _Sideswipe didn't think he was that bad. _Ironhide did it all the time, no one ever told him to calm down._ And speaking of which the afore named Topkick shot him a systems chilling glare. Well hell make that three warnings.

* * *

Jazz still wanted to argue the point that as Optimus Prime's second in command he should be going out there not Ratchet or Ironhide. And above all the little femme definitely had no business out there _she couldn't even clean out a drain without nearly drowning_. He didn't bother mentioning this but it was well hinted at.

"There are 6 occupants." Ratchet pointed out coolly.

Jazz's slash of blue optics went line thin. He did not like where this comment was going. But as long as it didn't turn into a short comment everything would be just so so.

"The water levels rising swiftly and the condition of the roads are deteriorating." Brain reminded them.

Bumblebee acquiesced that even though he was a little heavier built than the two low slung sports cars he would still be of little use with road conditions not to mention all the rain.

A private comm buzzed Bumblebee. "Bumblebee you know as a scout your talent will better be served here with the humans once we have safely retrieved them."

That made the yellow bots spark soar, this meant new exploration with humans like the femme they were currently with, only according to her these humans only spoke with their hands? He wanted to ask her about that, but it would have to wait until later.

* * *

It should have been quick little drive to the retrieve the trapped family. It would have taken less than 5 minutes in good weather, but with the heavy rains, thunder and lightning it hadn't taken almost two and a half hours. That was round trip.

The trip was a tedious one. There was the road to negotiate or what was left of it. Multiple times his wheels fell into unseen ravines, covered by water unable to run off. There was also the debris to circumnavigate. Large twisted pieces of tin, sludge, and fully mature trees kept hindering travel.

Thus far though the most dangerous situation had involved a large log slammingslammed into his side, pushing him sideways, and terrifying at least ten years off the human femme's life. At least that was something along the lines that she had said after they'd gotten out of that _little log jam_. A funny from that little smart stern Jazz. At least Kami, had the good sense to be more concerned about him, than the possibly that they were about to be pushed into a swelling rapids. She just really had no idea what sort of danger they had just skirted.

Almost there he muttered over an open channel to the other Autobots and as a reassurance to his human companion as well.

"So?" The human responded.

He held his respond one beat, two beat. He just kept inching the large all terrain tires forward, his wipers slapped from one side of the windshield to the other and then right back to where they started and proceed to repeat the process of rubbing the rain away.

"So?" The human femme repeated as she shifted in her seat looking from one window to the other trying to get her bearings.

She let out a little gasp. He was slipping into a dark vortex of water.

He snapped at her, not a growl, not a snarl, not even a warning grumble. He actually snapped at her.

_"Get still,** NOW**!"_ She let out another little gasp as his harness restraint encircled her, pulling her up snug against the seat. She went dead still against the five point harness restraint, there after all was no point fighting it. Unlike normal seatbelts his harness restraint closely reflected those used in NASCAR harness systems. Two belts one over each shoulder blade, another two one coming from each side to encircle her hips, with a final belt and the locking mechanism coming up from the crotch. Each piece clicking and locking in to keep the human femme from being banged around.

His tires were falling into the black nothingness of the whirlpool. No the very earth had vanished from his front tires. He would have went nose first into the water. He was confident his form would hold. But if his human femme was not restrained she could be tossed around, injured, or worse. That would not happen on his watch.

"Ironhide, report." The second in command bot rasp out.

There was merely ten feet between the bumper of the van and Ironhide's bumper. But the earth was still melting from under his wheels. So responding wasn't high on his list. He rocked backward letting his back wheels dig into purchase. There would be huge ruts in the road, not that there would be a road if this rain didn't stop. Suddenly his back wheels caught, water churned and spewed mud but they were inching backward onto terra firma.

"Ironhide?" Jazz spoke with a revving angry force. He was about to come out looking for the two of them.

"Jazz, cool your engine and stop yelling. We are almost to the van."

"There you are?" Jazz's rumble back was still tinged with concern.

Ironhide still didn't get that human phrase, but apparently Bumblebee had used it enough that now Jazz was using it. He had come real close to asking him where the slag else he might be, but thought better of it, he would just add that to the long list of annoyances Jazz had managed to inflict upon him in the last day or so.

* * *

"So, what's our plan?" It was Kami speaking but she seemed suddenly timid.

Jazz was already rattling off a plan, but Ironhide tuned him out so he could focus on and completely listen to his current charge.

Her heart rate was elevated. She was extremely tense. She had not said anything for a little bit. Her breathing was shallow. He was working on a conclusion, just as Ratchet chimed in with his own reading on the femme.

He tighten the belts then loosen them to break her from her thoughts. "Are you alright?"

She jerked. "What if we-" He didn't let her complete her sentence. Tightening the belts back around in what he hoped she would accept as a reassuring move, he rumbled in as soothing tone as he had that they had made it this far so everything was going to be alright. He was not by nature or design a nurturer sort but, he'd discovered sometimes it just helped in a bad situation, if he spoke calmly to this femme.

She run her fingers across the belts. Already feeling better, because Ironhide said it was going to be okay _it was going to okay_.

"Okay, big guy. What's the plan?"

* * *

There was no way to turn back, there hadn't been for over twenty years. They had been on their way to a Halloween Masquerade ball. It had been for the children. They had never experienced Halloween trick or treating. Unlike normal families they were deaf. Naturally because they were different well they were treated differently. But on this wonderful trip they were going to go and be with others much like themselves deaf, they were going to go to a Halloween Ball, and trick or treat all with other deaf children.

The trip had been an uneventful until the storms started rolling in. They family had stopped several times questioning whether they should press forward or turn back. Because they were deaf interacting with the hearing or even getting news, or weather was as good as impossible.

In the end the parents or at least the father chose to press forward. Hence they were now trapped here on some desolate highway in the middle of a violent storm.

Fast forward some twenty years later and two more travelers are edging further on to the desolate highway in an equally violent storm with the hopes of recusing what they believe to be some lost travelers. They just have no idea exactly how lost the travelers truly are.

* * *

She slid down a little in her seat as somehow the large Topkick pick up, every bit as big at the old 80's model GMC Van managed to turn around and creep up to the side doors of the van.

" 'Kay Ironhide, first hard parts over, now my parts easy. I just convince them to join us. And you get the other hard part, getting us all safely back. Though it'll be a piece of cake for you, _big guy_."

Ratchet mumbled his displeasure at the girls sudden burst of assurance. Had she already forgotten they'd almost been sweep away? He shook his head. Humans never ceased to surprise him, especially the one off with one of his brethren right now.

"Alright this is it, we cut open communications you both know the procedures." Jazz reminded both Ironhide and the human. He paused a beat and added. _"But Kamila' sing out least little thing goes wrong, understand me?"_

She slide across the console to the other seat to the window closest to the family van. She bite at her lip it had been so long since she had used sign language. But she wasn't going to start with that now, she was going to see if any of them could hear her.

Ironhide had to maintain cover, he didn't dare speak to the human femme as she spoke to the family. She thought they were reading her lips so she did a couple of little moves to keep them from seeing what she was saying.

They responded by signing. She was almost certain they were deaf but she had be sure. So this was it. She responded back in starts and stops. Her signing was rusty. They on the other hand were in full form. She wanted to help, but they were talking faster than she could translate. She held her hands up to slow down.

They swung their side door open. "Prefect." She sighed as she let Ironhide's door swing open. It would create a barrier. That was the great thing about older vans with double doors. She slipped out her seat down onto Ironhides chrome step rails. She looped her right hand into the seatbelt and grasp the frame. She stole a glance down at the road or rather where the road should be. There must be at least a foot of water swirling below and from above she was getting drenched as the rain continued hammering down.

* * *

She gasp. It was so auditable even the Autobots back at her shop heard it over the swelling storm. "A baby, they appear to have a baby with them."

Ironhide felt her heart rate pick up, until it was visibly hammering against her ribcage. She was trying to sign and talk at the same time. It was hard because the storm was so close on them every rumble of thunder shook everyone present to their very core and the lightning popping all around.

She motioned for the first child to come to her. He leaned toward her, but the father pulled him back. Kami looked pleadingly at him and then to the mother. She wanted desperately to help them. But he had just appeared to have rejected her offer.

She crushed her eyes closed as a large bolt of lightning hit entirely too close to the vehicles. She was scared.

"Please." She had unloosed her hold on Ironhides seatbelt and door frame. Freeing both hands to sign. She made a fist placing it against her chest, and making a circular motion. Realizing she'd just done sorry she mentally cursed herself. She tried again pleading both verbally and via sign. "Please let me help you."

Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. She suddenly felt helpless in the uncontrollable downpour.

She leaned toward the other vehicle, but the distance was too great for her bridge the gap. She would probably end up in the water below. She hoped Ironhide wouldn't be too pissed at her, when she got back in dripping filthy water on his floorboard and mats. She didn't know where that odd random thought come from but so be it, she'd thought it.

The father stopped her he was signing something, then the mother was pushing past him she slowed down her signing a little more so Kami could follow it. She apologized they were fearful lost travelers, who were deaf. So to find someone like her that could sign was a bit of a shock, but they would accept her help.

She nodded her understanding and ask could they hear at all. She followed up with her own apology for being so rude. But she went on to explain she could do the basics. No they did not hear at all but were fluent at reading lips.

Kami give them an okay sign and offered Ironhides interior as shelter and way to safety. Finally the father accepted.

Just as Kami teetering on the chrome step railing reached out to either step on over and bridge to the van or take a child a large blast of lightning came crashing down splitting a near tree into a multitude of pieces but the lightning didn't stop its running course, there it continued running the water touching both Ironhide and the van.

Kami let out a little squeal as she felt the father grasp her hand. She felt suddenly woozy. Something had just happened but she did not know what. The man slumped. Had they been tingled by lightning? Was he struck?

She wanted desperately to turn and talk to Ironhide. She did turn and almost spoke, but then she stopped and bite her lip. She would not blow their cover for some silly little whim on her part.

Ironhide had felt the jolt too. It was messing with his intergraded circuits. He'd had contact with Jazz and the others. Good clear contact up until now. Suddenly he was getting a lot of static.

"Ironhide?" Jazz growled into his comm. Nothing but static. He couldn't hear anything anymore. Not the little femme not her heartbeat, absolutely nothing.

"Brain get a visual, now." Ratchet had become demanding. "I need to know if that lightning hit them."

Bumblebee and Sideswipe were intensely aware that something serious had happened. They looked on unable currently to do anything but to try and reestablish contact with Ironhide, via their comm.

Brains imaging showed a grainy view of Ironhide, the van, the other people, and finally Kami. There was an audible sigh at the sight all still appeared to be going well. Kami reached out taking the first of the children and swinging them into Ironhides spacious back cab. She'd just helped the fourth one in. She paused asking something with her fingers. Fascinating Ratchet thought. The other female apparently the mother shook her head no to something.

The man helped the woman over to Ironhide where both she and Kami almost slipped and fell. A quick grab of Ironhides door frame kept both from falling. Then it happened. Ratchet was certain the girl had a good hold of Ironhides frame, but when she reached out to take the man's hand, he made it over but Kami seemed momentarily stunned. He watched in grainy slow motion and horror as the gentle natured femme seemed to slip falling into swelling run off of rain water on the road.

She'd grabbed the round chrome step rail and as a reward she'd received a good jerk as it stopped her. But what the others hadn't seen was the large black tire that seamless slipped over to help block her from being swept on away.

Oh yeah she was going to sore, she thought as she managed to sheepishly regain her footing. She whispered a soft thank you to her rescuer. She knew full well if he hadn't shifted a tire over, she would have been a goner. She just hoped again he wasn't going to be too pissed at her for being not only wet but soaking in mud.

Silently as she made her way into the interior of the truck she wondered why she kept going woozy. That had been the second time, in less than five minutes. She just hoped it didn't happen again at least until they were in the safety of her shop. She knew Ironhide was doing the real driving but well it would make it kind of hard to explain, if it happened again, with her behind the wheel. She needed desperately to run that by Ratchet.

She shoved a lock of sodden hair behind her left ear, and let a small smile break across her face. "Almost there." She'd meant to speak aloud hoping the other Autobots if they weren't in place they would be by the time they come rolling in.

The sight of Ironhides high beams dancing across her shop, give her pause and a little burst of excitement. Something she had been running short on the last hour or so.

Coming to a stop, she left the seeming innocuous truck running and got out going to push open the bay doors. She gave the doors a shove and nothing happened. She did it a second time and then finally a third time it began moving upward. There was just a little flash of a silver bots tail lights as the final Autobot hid in plain sight.

* * *

Kami, come trooping down the steps from her upstairs living quarters. She'd gotten the family of six settled in for the rest of the night. She had a sleeping bag and yet another set of clean clothes to change into. She thought her wardrobe was taking a serious hit with all the terrible weather. Somehow though she had managed to find enough clothing for the family and herself. But before she put on anything clean, warm, and dry she was going to have to get a shower_. With bleach she thought darkly as she pulled another leech from the top of her shirt. _

"It would be better to let it fall off, or simply remove it with your fingernail."

"Seriously Ratchet?" She eyed the bright hummer sitting on the other side of Ironhide.

"Shh, femme go take care of your problem."

She actually had turned to go but stopped, was he actually chuckling.

_I have leech on my—he thinks its freaking funny.._

She was still annoyed as she made her way out of the small downstairs washroom. At least she was clean again, getting dry, warming up, and officially leech free. She was also tired.

She'd gotten a remodel when her shop was rebuilt after being destroyed so lucky for her she had more comfortable options to sleep on. One being the sofa. She tossed the sleeping bag across it and lay down.

She groaned as all the days soreness made itself aware. She was trying to listen to all the shops sounds. The family she thought for certain was asleep, and the Autobots she was certain were communicating among themselves. She pushed her sleeve up to see what new bruises were forming.

"I only detect slight bruising on your arm as with your knee. You will definitely be sore. I feel the abrasions down your back will be alright, but if they continue to be bothersome, turning red or angry- we will address that. I am a little concerned with the abrasion down your other arm. If you do not stop splashing around in the dirty water, you are going to get it infected. By the way, Kami, you will need to keep the bandage changed. Leeches inject an anticoagulant that will prevent blood from clotting for at least a little while. But it should not present any problems."

"Seriously Ratchet? Eeew, I now hate snails. I look like I have a hickey on my b-" He cut her off unwilling to let her finish her rant. "They are actually of the subclass Hirudinea family. They are not even related."

She mumbled a complaint and just rolled over dropping off almost immediately to sleep.

Ironhide buzzed Ratchets private comm. "Is she alright? I lost her status a couple of times."

Before he could respond the rest of the present Autobots were all on channel and chattering their own concerns for the femme and the family that had come back with them.

Ratchet reassured the other Autobots, he had held nothing back from the femme, but the family was a different story. By all appearances they seemed alright. But until the bots systems were back in full form. He could only assume. He was fairly certain the last couple of heavy lightning strikes had thrown something off in their systems. It was only temporary but it would take readjusting they couldn't do with the other humans present without blowing their cover. So for the time being they would all just have to maintain the cover they had.

* * *

A gentle brush across the femmes back pulled her from an hour or so fitful sleep. She rolled over sitting up, her pale grey blue eyes meeting the large passionately blue optics of the Autobot Scout in his bi-ped form. She knew he wanted to ask her something, but he didn't want to offend her. She had always appreciated the Autobots gentle nature, even when they were curious about something they were never intrusive.

"What is it Bumblebee?" She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Why did you say they only speak with their hands?" He tilted his head, his optics still intensely focused on the human before him.

He touched his vocal processor. "Are they damaged too?"

She had to bite her tongue to keep from tearing up for the yellow Autobot.

She could hear Jazz and Sideswipe were both grumbling for Bumblebee to get back in his place before one of the other humans spotted him.

* * *

She offered him a smile as she grabbed her sleeping bag and slid off the comfortable sofa. He wanted to know something so she would oblige him. He'd transformed back into car form, settled just like before as she tossed the sleeping bag down on the floor. Bumblebee sat nose facing the direction of the shops bay doors a skylight before him to the left of the skylight sat Ironhide to the right Ratchet.

She moved her sleeping bag under the skylight and directly in front of Bumblebee. She hadn't noticed the normal hum was no longer present. The Autobots had gotten still and quiet no longer conversing via private comm amongst themselves, they were now more interested in what the human female was about to say to Bumblebee.

"Ah Bumblebee you are not damaged." She smiled. "And neither are they. No different things happen that render them unable to hear, and so that effects their ability to speak. Extremely high fevers, damage to the auditory nerve, and sometimes they are just born deaf. See the younger they are harder it is to get vocalization right, doesn't help if others are cruel about their speech." She paused bunching her sleeping bag up. Resting her cheek into it she fought back a yawn before continuing.

"You see humans unfortunately can be extremely cruel, bullying in nature. So there you have it, they give up, or never bother trying to learn to speak. But sign language…" She paused a moment, as she tried to make her sleeping bag into a more comfortable pillow.

"It is like a silent dance.. It is beautiful fluid motion.. It tells others, what the signer wishes to say."

Neither the thunder that kept rumbling nor the lightning that kept illuminating the sky light seemed to be able to keep her from dozing. She yawned again, nestling her cheek a little deeper into the outer shell of the sleeping bag. She was just so exhausted.

"Like I said. Humans can be so very cruel. Bullying, harassing, targeting, others that are outside of their social status, or different. Unfortunately we humans tend to lose sight of compassion, becoming cruel, not like ya'. You never lose sight of compassion and you are definitely not cruel."

She was dropping off again and that meant she was unfiltered honest. So now if she was thinking it she was saying it instead of keeping it to herself.

"No, ya' guys are really are nice, even if couple of you act like sticks in the mud."

* * *

The morning arrived without the fanfare of a gloriously beautiful sunrise. Instead it was just more rain, thunder, and lightning.

Kami awoke with a start. She was lying flat on her stomach, her right arm under her head as a pillow, and zipped up in her sleeping bag. Her left hand stretched out clinging to the Black Topkick's front rim. Her fingers had turned white from the grip. She pulled her hand away, feeling sheepish. She sighed not able to remember crawling in her sleeping bag, little lone zipping it up, but then the little dark haired four year old girl come into view and last night's events flooded back to her, except for how she got in the sleeping bag or what last nights nightmare had been about.

The little girl gave her a warm smile and signed breakfast. Kami give her a nod and pushed up, new day new adventure. She just really had no idea, how true that was.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Well it has taken longer that I would have liked. Things got a somewhat hectic in scheduling. I had hoped to have completed this by no later than Halloween or Halloween weekend. It did not work out that way.

I also run into other issues. These ghost have fought me tooth and nail for the perfect ending. I think I finally have it, so I sit reviewing little things and the like. Only to discover, the need for a follow up. I do wish the wise guy in the Peanut Gallery would stop snickering, or I am gonna kick his tires for him, Sideswipe… Not that I am calling any 'Bot out.

It is just weird when I want to finish something up and it won't let me. So there will be a follow up. My hope is a one shot.

On a side I would love to take a whack at whatever has messed with my uploading, editing, and line spacing.

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The couple stood peering down from the upper level, watching as Kami slept in the center of the floor surrounded by of all things automobiles.

The woman brought her fingers up touching her forehead, then she brought her hand forward and downward letting only her thumb and pinky finger remain extended forming the letter Y. The question was to her mate.

He replied back a harried response his fingers practically flying. "Look at her. She could be any ones daughter. Just because she is here doesn't automatically make her Kate."

Again she presented the same question. 'Why had the girl come for them then? Kate wasn't dead. If she had of died she would still be trapped there with them, forever lost to time. She would be with them.' She added a second time just for good measure.

The man sick of the discussion that had waged since the appearance of their rescuer shrugged. He instead looked back out to where she slept.

She was so young full of life, a bundle of energy. But she didn't have enough energy for herself and to maintain the six of them. And the children, the children they were unable to control what energy they took. They could literally drain the girl dry of her very life essence. But the vehicles, at least he was certain of the large black truck. It seemed to radiate an energy he never felt the likes of before.

He wondered if that was why they were solid, not apparitions anymore. Did it have something to do with the girl's truck or was it larger than that? Did it really encompass something bigger? And if it did what was it?

The woman looked at the other children, they were still resting. She suspected there would be a lot of that. Even she still felt so tired, and yet somehow almost alive.

"Markus, did you feel anything, from the other vehicles? I mean.." The woman Brenda paused looking for the right words.

When they had pulled in, the entire building seemed to pulse with some unseen even to them source. She could have sworn the vehicles were alive in their own right, but how it wasn't possible. She let her eyes scan the layout before her. Markus joined her, letting his own gaze slid around the room before them.

It was hard to believe housed in the building was such a diverse selection of automobiles. Sports cars, three to be exact and two all-terrain trucks.

No actually the Pontiac Solstice was more of the roadster of the sports cars. The other sliver one a Corvette Stingray was an aggressively sculpted low slung. Built for speed. Then there was the third one. A bright yellow Camaro. It was both considered a pony car and a muscle car.

The all-terrain trucks or the huge black GMC Topkick truck was built for all-terrain, in fact the rougher the terrain the better that sort of truck performed. Yet still a very smooth ride even in suburban areas.

The emergency vehicle, it seemed a bit off. It was bulky. It had large heavy tires much like the pickup. There was the emblem H-2 Search and Rescue. But the image, in the center. They had only just seen that insignia inside the large black pickup. If they had inspected any of the other vehicles more closely they would have found they all bore that unusual insignia.

Brenda turned her attention back to the stirring children. They were waking, they would need to be fed and there were appearances that needed to be kept up. The table remained set from the evening before. The girl must truly be of southern descent, the hospitably flowed freely from her.

Markus give the dark hair 4 year old Allison stern instructions that she was not to touch anything including the young woman Kami. Her wide eyed response was how else could she wake her? He only waggled a finger to her retreating back.

Allison watched the bolt of lightning flicker and light up the skylight. It should be rays of sunshine flooding in and lightning the large bay, but instead it was lightning. Just two more steps and she reached bay area and all beautiful automobiles.

She reached out with desire she just for once wanted to let her fingers trail across the two beautiful cars. One just looked like it screamed to be touched. She turned looking back over her shoulder. Neither Markus nor Brenda were looking. She wouldn't break anything she would just let her fingers glide across it.

Then the gorgeous bright yellow and black stripped car caught her eye. It was practically pulsing with the warmth of real sunshine. She was certain she could feel it. Maybe she would just touch it. Just a touch. It wouldn't hurt anything right?

She stretched her hand out her fingers mere inches from the brilliant yellow Camaro when her eyes caught on the ambulance? Her eyes went wide. She had never seen an ambulance that looked like that. What did the strange emblems mean of the sides of it? Already the beautiful silver cars were forgotten, along with the gorgeous yellow car, for the both wonderful and strange looking ambulance.

Another flicker of lightning drew her attention away from the ambulance, and to the real task at hand. She was supposed to ask the lady to come to breakfast. But she hadn't thought anything more about that after she had seen all the cars. But that was okay she was back on task now.

She remembered both Brenda and Markus being firm she wasn't to touch anything, not even the lady. Brenda said it might frighten her. So how was she supposed to wake her up? Then there before her was the monstrous black truck with all the glowing eyes.. no those were lights that had come for them.

Her breath caught, it was un-describable. It was so bright and shiny to be black, it was like a mirror she could see her own reflection. She raised her hand to touch it. The reflection raised its own hand reaching back to the touch hers. She gasp. She dropped all her fingers but one. The reflection did the same. She smiled at the image, the image in turn seem to ripple at her and smile back.

Kami wore with a start, someone was standing near her. She could feel it, but she couldn't see who it was. She was lying flat on her stomach, her right arm under her head and her left arm stretched out clinging for dear life to something. She wanted to jerk her hand away until she realized it was Ironhides front rim. Instead she removed her hand slowly feeling all the more embarrassed. She couldn't remember how she got zipped up in her sleeping bag. Then there was the dream, she could only remember fragments but that was more than she cared to remember.

The dark haired little girl come into view, smiling she signed breakfast was ready. Kami nodded and pushed up to a sitting position, her left hand still protesting. She was grateful none of the Autobots were feeling particularly chatty this morning, but she had to wonder how long that would last. They were all a curious lot, and she should know curious.

#####################################################################################

She had just stepped off the final step on to the upper level to her personal space where the family had rested the night before. She glanced around to the kitchen area. The table was still set. Mentally she had to do an eye roll. A set table had become somewhat of an inside running joke for her and the Autobots even placements of coffee cups could set her off into fits of giggles. But at least Optimus Prime had been a gracious guest, even if Epps and Lennox had teased her endlessly after meeting the Autobots for the first time.

Brenda come into view drying her hands then she began signing. Kami had to struggle to focus she was still so groggy. Sorry they had went ahead and eaten without her. But they had saved her some eggs and there was still plenty of milk.

Kami took one look at the eggs and went wide eyed. The two eggs sat sunny side up on their plate. For a sick twisted second she thought of Bumblebee. She grimaced. Uttering what she thought was a silent moan. She didn't want any part of any half-done egg, if it was still runny it was raw. And if it was looking at her, well it might jump off that plate any second and take off running.

Fifteen minutes later she went trooping back down the steps rubbing an imagined spot off her breakfast apple. It had been hard, she was trying not to be rude. But she could not bring herself to eat the eggs.

She let her mind shift to the next task. Her intentions had been to set up Brains if he would behave himself, so the kids could watch something, but a voice broke into her thoughts.

"Is there a problem?" It was the rich refined voice of Ironhide. It made her jump. She was used to him snarling and growling at her. But when he was actually in the mood to be nice to her, or if she just needed a reassuring voice he could actually be very debonair. Much like Optimus and Ratchet, his gentle voice made her heart go pitter patter. She absolutely hated it, the Autobots on the other hand or at least Ratchet enjoyed it to the point he would on occasion tease her about it.

"No!" Her response was automatic.

"Really?" Ratchet responded. "Your heart rate is elevated."

"I don't want to talk about it." She snapped. Visions of sunny side up eggs and Bumblebee floated through her thoughts, she was certain they wouldn't get the comparison.

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Kami plugged the last cord into a port on Brains.

"Hey not so rough." Brains protested.

She froze. "Do not even start."

"Well gee, how 'bout a little-"

"Brains stop teasing, her." Ratchet warned.

Kami give a little cough hoping none of the other humans had noticed she was going red or that she was talking to someone or something. Silently she was plotting what she was going to do with that twisted little bot.

The children had settled down to some Halloween cartoon reruns while the adults talked about why they had been traveling in harsh weather. Kami sat patiently watching as they told how each of their personal stories unfolded.

Brenda explained how they had gathered together the group of children. None of them had ever actually got to go to trick or treating, and well they suddenly had the chance to get to go to their own masquerade ball. They would be with more deaf children and it was completely geared towards them.

#####################################################################################

Elsewhere:

There was a feeling of dread in the pit of his spark. He tried to reach each of his fellow Autobots. Of the five who had stayed behind with the human femme one of them should be able to answer him. But none of them were even pinging Optimus Prime back. That was unlike, Ratchet, Ironhide, Jazz, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee. Then there was also the smaller Autobots, Wheelie and Brains. Again he was unable to reach any of them.

He paused letting his processors work the feeling of dread over. He didn't like what it kept coming around to. They weren't responding, because they weren't able to send or receive. He pondered it a moment longer, that feeling of dread extended to the human female too. So why were they unable to respond? Were the storms that heavy in their location?

Lennox sighed as Epps just shook his head, the cell phone still plastered to his ear, no doubt waiting on voicemail to intercede in her absents.

Lennox exhaled an annoyed breath. He just hoped maybe the entire reason behind none of the Autobots answering or Kami for that matter was as simple as the weather was interfering with signals. Okay so it shouldn't affect the Autobots. So maybe they were just having a Halloween party. Yeah right, that wouldn't stop them from answering. Besides he could only see two, maybe four of the 7 Autobots being willing participants in a Halloween party.

Optimus reached out to the only two Autobots that could possibly get back to the shop before he could. There was a short delay before they responded. But they happily agreed to turnaround heading back toward the shop. This left Optimus, Jolt, Wheeljack, Arcee, Longarm, and Topspin to help Lennox and the other humans with storm damage in the current town they were in. Optimus just hoped that even though the rest of the Autobots was further down south in the main line of storms that they were alright.

Optimus Prime felt a little better when_ 'the twins'_ reported in. At least they were on their way, he would feel much better once he knew the rest of his brethren and the human female were all alright. Though he was a little hesitate to send Skids and Mudflap to check on the others. After all Skids and Mudflap made just crossing a parking lot an adventure. At least that's what Kami always says. Ironhide's along with everyone else's take on '_the twins'_ wasn't so polite.

Epps ended the call with a stab of his finger. "Hey she probably done talked Ironhide into bullying Ratchet, Sideswipe, and the rest into having a party or something. 'Know how she gets. She gets all sweet and innocent looking. Drags toe of her shoe across the floor while standing still, hands folded behind her back. With a little sway, she'll look up to him and ask him do something nobody else could get away with asking him to do."

Lennox shook his head. His wife and daughter had similar moves_. The art of being a human female._

"Yeah, I'm sure they are having a blast." Lennox waved a couple of local National Guards by with Wheeljack.

#####################################################################################

If she stretched just a little further over she could grab the final box of decorations that kept escaping her. Her finger tips brushed it, and it inched away, again. There was a deep chuckle. She sighed.

The peanut gallery was having a blast at her expense. She glanced back down the ladder, hoping she was putting her darkest look forth for Sideswipes viewing pleasure. And if Wheelie, Brains, Bumblebee and Ratchet of all the others didn't stop the wise cracks she was going to start dropping things in their direction.

"Kami, do be careful. I do not care to explain to Optimus how or why you have come up with another broken bone."

Her hand slip a little at that, scaring the heck out of her. She wanted to tell Ratchet to not jinx her but she didn't. It must be nice the Autobots could be all sorts of chatty and she couldn't say _one damn cross _word, without the family thinking she was completely mad. Now she knew how the Autobots felt when they had to maintain silence.

She took one last look down at them before she started back down the ladder. She felt a little anxious? No maybe weary was a better word for it. Of all the chatty bots, two weren't saying a word to her what so ever. She figured it was safe bet to say Ironhide was still pissed at her, even after she'd cleaned him up and removed the stray limbs. She wasn't sure why Jazz wasn't on speaking terms with her. Had she somehow offended him too? Come to think of it Ratchet to, had grown silent. Why?

Brenda waited at the bottom of the ladder looking up anxiously as Kami made her way down. As she got a little closer to the bottom she handed the rope to Markus so he could bring down the final box. Brenda's fingers trembled as she longed to reach out and hold the ladder. She only had two more steps when she missed the second to last one. She come down a little harder than she meant landing rough on her feet, her left ankle shot pain in protest. But she didn't fall on her butt.

Jazz and Ironhide watched as the femme called Brenda looked panicked. She had reached out to catch Kami, but the male Markus stopped her from touching her.

Jazz buzzed Ironhide and Ratchet silently. "I told you there is something off."

"Jazz they are strangers in a stranger's home. Even if Kami treats everyone like family. Must admit the deep rooted southern culture runs extremely deep in her."

Jazz shot a growl back to Ratchets scientific view.

"Ironhide, maybe you need to explain to Ratchet again, just exactly what happened out there."

"Jazz, I am well aware of what happened out there. Our scan systems are still down, and outside communications are non-existent. I also know we lost solid contact. We did pick back up with static. I also know the lightning run the water making contact with all parties involved." Ratchet stated.

Ironhide waited a beat to see if Jazz and Ratchet were going to continue to bicker back and forth.

"I absorbed the electrical shock. It should not have affected anyone, and certainly not Kami. Her shoes were dry, as was she. Mostly. Kami is not who I am concerned about right now. I know to whose side she is on. The others, the adults, there is something that is bothering me about them. As bad as I hate to admit it, Jazz is right."

"Yes, well they are deaf. Kami is right they feel isolated. Kami hears and speaks, she also knows sign language. So that sets her apart from them, even though she is trying to help. They still are not ready to accept her."

Jazz snorted at Ratchet's assessment, but didn't bother replying.

#####################################################################################

The humans sat around signing back and forth with the occasional passing of a notebook with pencil. The three adults were trying to figure out how to pull off a Halloween Masquerade Ball for the children with just what was on hand.

Kami sighed laying her head down against the table. They were out signing her. By the time she was on to what they were talking about, they had already went to something else. And anything useful she thought she was adding was as good as shot down.

"Do you wish me to translate?"

She shot bolt upright. She had to bite her lip hard to keep from snapping back a reply.

She excused herself from Markus and Brenda and headed for the restroom.

"No, besides how do you know sign language?"

There was much chuckling, from the peanut gallery_. She was going to kick Sideswipes tires. _

"World Wide Web." Ratchet replied.

She grimaced. "No I will not chance slipping and giving you away."

#####################################################################################

She returned to the other humans, feeling a little overwhelmed until the recalled the notebook. She grabbed it up. She began drawing out the layout of her shop. What open spaces that could be used and what would be off-limits. She had a question, but she thought she already knew how they awoke in the mornings. And it was going to be that very idea that she would use to create the atmosphere of a dance floor for the children. There would still have to be some games thought up, but that could probably be fixed with the creation of the dance floor.

#####################################################################################

She began drawing out a rough wiring schematic. Each symbol representing different strands of lights. If she timed the lights right they would flash, blink, flicker, and dance around to music. Only the children could not hear the music. In that instant she felt like the wind was ripped from her.

Ironhide sat silently monitoring the human femmes vitals he felt her ever excited highs and even her disheartening lows. He grumbled at her sudden sadness. Ratchet reminded him that was underhanded. They were not supposed to keep such close tabs on the humans without their permission unless there were the possibly of intimate danger.

"I would also like to point out asking her permission last night when she was so tired is considered pushing the limits to our code of conduct, Ironhide."

"_Are we actually going to go over this? _ You are scanning her regularly, Ratchet."

Ratchet heaved a sigh there was no point in reminding him _he was the medical officer_. It was his job, it wasn't like he was keeping tabs of the human femme for the sake of keeping tabs on her. Well he was but just because he was concerned about what had happened the night before, that was a reasonable excuse right? #####################################################################################

They were actually running the lights. Maybe this was going to work after all. She still would have to pull out some LEDS, diodes, resistors, and of course spooled wire to link the LEDS and diodes together. Then there was the matter of finding the button cell flashers or those 555 IC's. She knew where they were yesterday, before half the shelving had come crashing down. But that was yesterday, and Jazz had cleaned it up. Now that never cease to amaze her, how things that weren't magnetic could still be manipulated by that sleek silver bot.

She had just finished sealing up the last piece of shrink covering the stripped wires and legs to the LED lights. She connected the battery system. The integrated circuit looked good, as did all the resistors she'd placed so now all she had to do was flip the switch.

And nothing happened. She checked the battery leads. Flipped the switch and again nothing happened.

She did a basic trouble-shooting, again unhooking everything that was detachable, before reattaching everything. And she flipped the switch to have absolutely nothing happen again.

The children seemed to visibly wilt. They were looking forward to a spectacular light show. Lights that would flash to an unheard beat but would provide them with the rhythm to dance and play along to a selection of Halloween music written to inspire care free fun. Instead all they were getting was disappointed.

Markus suggested maybe they all go have lunch and then the children could take an afternoon nap. Brenda added maybe if Kami rested for a little while she would have a clearer head and figure out what she needed to do to fix the set up. It was probably just something simple. She added as she herded the children towards the steps.

Kami sighed. She thought a moment. Change the battery. Maybe she had a dead battery. Simple enough fix, and she hadn't even tried that first. What was she thinking? She moved to change the battery as she listened to the family moving around upstairs.

She connected the final lead to the fresh battery. She inhaled, crossed her fingers, closed her eyes and flipped the switch. She was rewarded with snickers and no lights. The snickers were from none other than the headmaster of the peanut gallery as she was beginning to think of Sideswipe.

"Might want to let that breathe. Before you pass out." Wheelie was peeking out from under Ironhides front tires.

She exhaled. "Sideswipe, keep it up and I will kick your tires."

Wheelie rolled back a little further under Ironhide. No doubt just in case she decided to start small and work her way up.

"Did you pay attention to the way the Light Emitting Diodes were aligned?" There was amusement in Sideswipes voice.

She shot him what she hoped was her best murderous look.

For him to not be able to stand her earlier, he now suddenly found it fun to torment her. It was even better she could not do anything to get back at him, other than idle threats.

"The seventh one appears to be backwards."

She cut her eyes to Sideswipe before picking up the string of lights. She was just waiting on him to make another crack at her. She was counting in to the seventh diode making sure as she went all were facing in the correct orientation. When he started chuckling again.

"Other end." Ratchet finally informed her.

She sighed, sitting down in the floor. "And you've known that how long? I see now only bothering to tell me? Cute, very cute. Did I miss anything else you wish to point out now or would you rather get a little more amusement from me first?"

"Kamila', if you are very much finished with your venting. I wish to talk to you."

Kami froze. Ironhides tone indicated he didn't wish to bicker with her or anyone else. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees. She forgot the lights she had so diligently been working on earlier.

#####################################################################################

She had finally settled in resting her back against Ironhides front wheel, answering Jazz, Ratchet, and Ironhides questions.

"Jazz, I know it was lightning. I have be shocked before albeit was not by lightning. But trust me, I know how it feels. It never hit us."

"Kamil' I know it never touched you Ironhide was able to defect the electrical shock by absorbing it. But what about the family?"

She leaned back groaning. "Jazz."

"Please Kamil'." There he went again using a shortened version of her name. She knew full well he was a swift and precise saboteur nothing to be toyed with, but when he talked to her on that level she knew he wanted something, a bit of information that meant nothing to her. It was only one of the many ways he performed interrogations, at least he wasn't building anything against her.

Kamila pressed back a little further into Ironhides tire.

"Jazz as far as I know it didn't." She stopped feeling frustrated. "I just do not know. I am going to say no. I mean… How do you-? Look, like I said I have been shocked before, oh hell yeah I knew it and so did the entire house. That hurts."

She shrugged.

"I'm going to grab lunch, I still have that string of lights to fix."

She left taking the steps slow and very quiet leaving the Autobots to talk privately amongst themselves.

Shifting over to their private comm links. Jazz buzzed. "Ratchet, what are you picking up?"

Ratchet let his sensors reach out probing all around the shop, covering both the upstairs and downstairs.

"I have seven human forms, six of which are prone. Thirteen, no make that twelve four legged creatures I am assuming are rodents. And what appears to be a snake."

Jazz took a moment to digest Ratchets assessment. Was he actually being funny? He did his own scan just to be sure.

"What vitals are you detecting?" Jazz ask, this time sounding just a bit cross.

Ratchet returned the reply with just a touch of crossness in his own voice.

"My scanners are still not detecting the vitals of the other humans. I have been unable to make necessary calibrations."

Each of the other Autobots added their own reply. Again no one was detecting any human vitals other than Kami's.

Kami crept on to the final step of the upstairs. She had worked so hard not to step on a squeaky board and wake someone when it finally donned on her, they were deaf. So they would never have heard the boards creaking. She felt heat rise up in her cheeks. She just hoped no one pointed out her silly mistake.

She looked around the kitchen. It was cleaned dishes were washed and put away. She shrugged. She grabbed an apple, for her lunch.

What Kami didn't realize is if she had of opened the refrigerator she would have found everything just as it had been when her military friends had left. The family hadn't eaten. They had no reason to. The dead after all had no use for food, at least not the sort Kamila had. They did have to have energy to maintain the current solid forms they held. But for the most part they were getting their energy fill just by being around the Autobots. Never the less they still tired and needed to rest more so than the human whose shop they were currently inhibiting.

Markus and Brenda had went to great lengths to make sure the children didn't touch anything that would put more of a drain on the generator or affect the strange automobiles below. But there had been a couple of near close calls with the children, wishing to reach out to Kami. They wanted to hug her and touch her. They had forgotten what it felt like to be alive, alive like Kami. To actually feel warm, soft, have a pulse, and to have a breath that fogged.

Her cheeks changed shades, going from a soft pink to a rosy red. They wanted to know why. Another favorite topic when Kami was downstairs was her eyes. Even though they were a light shade they seemed to have a sparkle to them.

But the really curious question even Brenda wanted to know was this girl who for the most part, who had taken them into her home trusting them and without question. Giving them free reign of her entire personal space and expecting nothing in return, was she The infant Kate all grown up?

After all there were only six of them, but when they had had the wreck Kate had been with them. Come to think of it. Katlin hadn't been with them, since the wreck. In the twenty years they'd been gone was it possible her baby had lived and could the kind hearted stranger actually be her infant daughter Kate.

If only it were so.

#####################################################################################

Skids just barely missed sliding into the aft end of Mudflap.

"Hey, watch it." Mudflap warned.

"Why did' you stop?"

But it did not take Mudflap replying. Skids seen the gapping ravine ahead of them.

"Whatd' we gonna do, Skids?"

Before he could reply their comm buzzed.

"Twins report." It was the voice of Optimus Prime.

"Optimus Prime, we are still 10 miles out." Skids replied over a crackling link.

Mudflap of course corrected him saying they were only 9 and a half miles out.

Followed by that was the sounds of scuffing. Optimus sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose. Those two were enough to drive anyone mad on a good day and today was certainly not a good day. Wheeljack, Longarm, and Jolt stepped up to Optimus awaiting the orders to fall in and continue traveling back towards the human females shop. There no doubt was something amiss.

#####################################################################################

Bouncing down the final step Kami took another bite of her apple, still completely oblivious to the fact there was something amiss. She stopped short of picking up the light string when she finally realized things were quiet.

"Sooo?" She ask. She let her eyes slide around the shop.

To break the silence Bumblebee responded in broken radio scans. "Why do you not use, Christmas lights, instead of making a light string?"

"Bee way too much trouble to program the sequencing of Christmas lights. 'Sides half them probably do not work."

Sideswipe snickered.

She cut her eyes in his direction.

"Alright you in the peanut gallery, if you ain't got nothing nice to say… Keep it to yourself."

She gathered up the made up lights yet again starting from the wrong end according to Sideswipe.

"Keep it up, I am going to kick your tires." She warned him as she clearly marked each end of the harness with a different color of tape.

This of course seem to fuel Sideswipes desire to tease the human female.

"Oh, promises, promises."

She paused looking down her nose at him.

"You are one warped bot. And just so you know. _I am going to kick your tires_."

"Oooh, sounds fun, looking forward to it. Shall we call it a date?"

She didn't say anything she just moved a little closer to Bumblebee and Ironhide.

Wheelie popped out from under a work bench watching her work now. "You do realize he is a bit of a sociopath, right?"

She turned to respond but before she could form words the raging storm that had calmed, returned just as suddenly with renewed vigor. The storm was right on top of them. There was a brilliant flash, followed by crackling, and deafening thunder. She realized too late, the lightning had hit her shop. It was even now running the electrical system. For the most part she had already powered down and locked out the equipment. There were only a few things connected and running off the generator, like the television. And Brains was connected to the television.

Kamila's heart was still racing even after she had ripped the cords from Brains and gently sat him on the floor. Ratchet had assured her that Brains was fine he would simply need to do something similar to what humans called a cold reboot.

She'd been through a cold reboot with Ironhide. It stressed her out. She bite her lip as she stood waiting in the murky darkness for Brains to come back online. She knew she would have to go try and restart the generator, if it were possible but right now all she could think of was Brains. Something bumped her, she flinched. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of silver. She really wasn't focusing on who it was, she'd just assumed it was Jazz giving her a nudge of assurance. She rested against the car, massaging the hood with her fingers.

"Ratchet are you sure he is going to be alright?"

"It is a simply a form of stasis, much like a medically induced human coma." As quick as Ratchet had said it, he knew it was a mistake.

She froze her fingers balling up. In that instant Sideswipe was so very glad she couldn't bunch his hood up into that fist she was making.

"Kamila' I give you my word. Brains will come back online. It is just going to take a little time, by human standards."

The storm wasn't letting up. Lightning was continually crackling, running the buildings electrical lines. It was getting ever the closer. It was beginning to jump to any and everything that could conduct it.

"Kamila' for your safety move now to a rubber mat." Ironhide barked the command. #####################################################################################

"Optimus do you read?" Skids tried buzzing Prime over both private comm and via open air comm. All he received for his troubles was much static. Mudflap seemed to be having the same luck as he reached out trying to raise anyone of the other Autobots. "Nuthing. Ironhide isn't responding."

"Optimus isn't responding either." Skids replied as he sat idle looking at the human females shop, just about three miles away.

"So what are we waitin' for?" Mudflap started rolling forward.

#####################################################################################

Optimus Prime, Lennox, Epps, and the others had turned back pressing through the raging waves of storms.

Optimus Prime felt a strange feeling deep within the core of his spark, there was something wrong. It was a feeling he did not recognize. All he really did understand of the feeling was that his Autobots were in possible danger and he had to get to them. He had informed Lennox that he needed to turn back. Lennox and Epps agreed they would go back as well.

The large terrestrial Peterbilt plowed forth pushing wind, water, and debris from the path of the other Autobots following. In normal routine circumstances Optimus Prime would let the smaller swifter Autobots lead and he would have brought up the rear protecting his charges from attacks from behind.

Jolt was finding the weather was making traveling hard for his compact electrically charged body, but drafting behind Prime was making it a little better, for not only him but everyone. Interesting what a slipstream could do for you.

#####################################################################################

Kami had done as Ironhide commanded she had taken refuge on a large rubber mat. She had pulled out another spare mat and placed the still stasis form of Brains on it. Now she sat watching the electrical outlets spitting little yellow and blue tipped sparks everywhere. With each fresh strike the lightning seemed to grow in strength and get closer and closer to the terrestrial Autobot forms.

"Maybe Kami and the other humans should take shelter with one of us." Bumblebee quipped in several different radio voices.

"No." Ironhide responded.

"Ironhide is right, if one of us takes a strong enough electrical jolt, well the humans could be in even more danger." Ratchet responded.

A large bolt of lightning cracked open the sky illuminating the shop. The twins paused giving each other the once over making sure nothing was to damaged or broken as to hold them back if they needed to fight.

"Boy, I don't know what got into that human femme, 'she need to learn to keep her' road repaired." Mudflap muttered.

Skids cocked a fist back landing a blow hard against Mudflap's helm. "Stupod.. She only responsible last two miles of road leading to her shop."

Mudflap not wishing to be wailed on by his brother returned a blow which started an all-out brawl that sent them sprawling into the side of the shop.

Kami let a little squeal escape her lips, even as she held a hand over mouth. The shop was literally going to be blown and torn apart.

Again there was a rumble against the shop now at the doors. It happened again. It sounded almost like someone was trying to get in. As much as Kami thought she wanted to know what was on the other side of the door she wasn't ready to find out. In fact Kami would have just let the rumbling, slamming, banging, knocking go on if not for the little girl.

Kami yelled at the little girl Allison and waved her hands. But the child having her back to Kami she didn't know she was being called back and her attention was on the inward bugling door. Throwing thoughts of her own safety to the wind Kami went to retrieve the child from the door. She just hoped it wasn't a tornado baring down on them.

"What are your scanners detecting?" Kami called to anyone who currently could and would answer her as she slid to the girl. She had just made it to the little girl's side as the doors were twisted and began groaning as they were pulled apart.

The shop was in total darkness not a light had survived the lightning surging. Any other lights that had been connected to the generator were now gone. So neither human knew who are what was breaking into to them.

A grotesquely misshaped hand reached inward from the outdoors just as another bolt of lightning flashed. The image frightening even in the best of light was more so the small girl who had never meet one of the twins.

The scream that issued forth from the small human being scared the hearing female human as well as the twins Optimus Prime had sent back. This in turn roused both the combative and protective nature of the other Autobots.

Kami grabbed the small girl pulling her close as she heard the whirls, grinding, and clipping of Autobots transforming to their true forms. She could hear the snick followed by the slide of metal against metal and the humming of cannons powering up. Sideswipe had unsheathed his swords and she knew the vibrating hum of Ironhides cannons.

"NO! RUN!" Kami was yelling she'd forgotten the girl was deaf.

She never saw which of the Autobot scooped her and the small girl up. All she knew for sure was they had taken charge of the situation and would protect both from the new threat. Silently she was praying it wasn't a Decepticon attack. It was already going to hard enough to explain Autobots but if that explanation suddenly included 'Cons well things were going to be way more complicated.

There was cool metal against her flesh as she tugged her hoodie off. But she couldn't think about that right now. The little girl was shivering in fear, and Kami didn't know how to reassure her in the dark that they were safe. So she just bundled the shirt around her, hugged her tight and started rocking her.

Ratchet kept his frame turned in such away the two humans were nestled in a small confined corner, and against his chest plate. He could feel Bumblebee pressing his back against his. He was the second line of defense to protect the two humans. He knew Bumblebee would have his blaster out and ready. In front of Bumblebee was a very intense Sideswipe, with Jazz and Ironhide on either side of him. And then of course whatever was trying to get in to the humans. But nothing was going to get through that line up and to the humans.

#####################################################################################

Optimus Prime locked down in the middle of a flooding road. They were about two miles from the human shop. He could see it from the road. He could even see the bickering twins, but they were still unable to detect them. There had to be something interfering with signal. He tried again to radio them, to no avail. It was no matter though, he eyed the gaping hole again. It was filled with a lot of water and debris, but he could still make out the nose of an old GMC van. No doubt it had been there quite a while.

He really wanted to check on the rest of his brethren, for they were after all like him. Yes they followed him into battles and they all called him their leader, but still they were his brethren on this alien world. He knew if Ironhide, Ratchet, and Jazz discovered him here, if all was well they would leave the charge of the human female to Bumblebee and Sideswipe. So they could talk if there had been any issues.

"Longarm, Arcee what do you make of this?"

All of the Autobots transformed and took turns looking into the caved in hole.

"How was this missed when they did road work?" Arcee inquired.

Topspin snorted. "It looks like the van has been unearthed from somewhere over there."

Longarm looked taking in the surroundings. He did a few quick calculations. He kneeled down, did a few more calculations. He stood and eased himself into the pit the van rested in. "Optimus." He gasp. His optic lenses flashing repeatedly. Giving the idea he didn't believe what his optics were showing him.

Optimus turned to a very distressed sounding Longarm. "What is it, Longarm?"

"Well take this it looks like a mud stained limb. But well I would say it is a femur. If Ratchets mentoring has been accurate in the human anatomy."

"So you're saying there is a body down there?" Epps ask.

"I believe the correct term Epps, is multiple bodies."

"What?" Lennox tore his eyes away from the cell phone dial pad.

Optimus felt a heaviness in his spark. He felt bad for the humans, whoever they had once been.

"Can anyone get a signal out? We need to let someone know we need a retrieval team out here." Lennox flicked his phone off and then back on.

The sound of a strangled scream tore Optimus Prime's optics from the hole and Longarm. Lennox and Epps had been peering down towards the hole when they too heard the scream.

Optimus didn't see the twins anymore and blast it he still wasn't reading the other Autobots.

"Come on that scream come from the shop." Lennox reached for his weapon that was always there, except for today. He swore.

"Autobots, transform and roll out, there may be danger at the shop.

#####################################################################################

"Hey, chillax. Hold your fire." The voices were tumbling over each other. Ironhide knew those two tumbling bumbling voices anywhere.

"Ah, you two." Sideswipe whipped one of his swords down just a mere half inch from Skids face plates.

Jazz, plucked Mudflap up. "You will be lucky I do not skin your plating off, scaring 'hell outta the little chicas."

"I _**will**_ skin your plating off, _aft first_." Ironhide snorted in their face plates. "Idiots."

Ironhide still hadn't powered down this canons, but he did step away so Bumblebee could move out of Ratchet's way.

Ratchet stepped backwards before turning, and letting the two humans out of the corner. Kami was grateful there was finally lights, she didn't care if it was headlights.

Allison gasp, and Kami realized the Autobots were no longer in their terrestrial forms and the rest of the other humans were standing midway of the steps. So Kamis secret was out. She looked up at the Autobots then back at the humans. She wondered how she was going to do PR on this. No one had ever briefed her on that little scenario. Another quick glimpse at the Autobots made her stomach do flips. She suddenly was feeling nauseated.

"Ah, gentlemen." That didn't work.

"Weapons, please." She was whispering, not that the family could hear her.

"Yeah, weapons, please?" Skids croaked.

She was rewarded with snorts, and finally the sounds of weapons being stowed.

Her hands were shaking as made her way a little further from the Autobots.

She made a fist slowly bringing it up to her chest to indicate she was sorry.

The family was unmoved by her response.

Ratchet moved forward offering his own take on the human's sign language. Kami took one look at him and felt her stomach do another flip.

Ratchet made the language look as smooth as Optimus Primes gentlest tone of voice. She wanted to crawl under something and right now.

"Is there a problem." Ratchet let his optics slide in her direction.

She tried to fight down the blush that was rising in her cheeks. She did an about face. "Nope."

The entire shop was filled suddenly with deep crackling, things began humming.

"The powers coming back on." Kami was excited.

"Ironhide, Ratchet?" It was the sound of Optimus Prime, from just at the outer edges of the drive of the shop.

Even better maybe they could suggest a way to handle this, newly developed situation.

As Optimus, Lennox, and Epps stepped through the door Kami went to them. "Ya have got to help me, we have a problem." She was babbling on.

"Yeah, I know. Kami. We found them."

She paused letting both men go.

"What. No the problem is right here. They've seen them and I don't know how to put a PR spin on this. This is seriously jacked up."

Both men looked at her, like she'd went a grown a second head.

"Hey, calm down get a jacket on. Your icy cold. Have you been drinking?"

"What? _No. __**Hell**__ NO!"_

"Sure you have bruises down one arm and scratches on the other, you been wrestling with Sideswipe?"

Epps, pulled a jacket around her shoulders. "_**K'**_ you are not making any sense, what so ever. Now what is going on? No stop take a deep breath and tell me what you are going on about."

"Do you not see the family? They are right there." She waved towards empty steps. "I know you passed their van on the road. Its stalled water got to high and took it out. Big GMC white forest green stripping. Double doors that swing out."

Lennox exchanged looks with Epps.

"Tell them, Ironhide, Ratchet. I'll go get the family they probably scared to death upstairs somewhere."

She dropped the jacket off her shoulders, heading for the stairs.

Optimus Prime looked after the girl as she headed toward the stairs.

"Optimus there is or rather was other humans here. I am having difficulties detecting their presences, now. There were six of them." Ratchet informed his Prime and the room of his assessment.

"Kamila." Her name rumbled from the large red and blue Autobot leader.

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs turning back to him.

Optimus looked to the humans Epps, Lennox and then Kamila. Then he turned his helm upward to the rafters of the building. Suddenly the entire electrical system was thrumming so loudly that even the humans were aware of it.

Standing at the top of the stairs, six more humans Optimus Prime had not met. Nor could he physically detect. He reached out with his scanners doing another scan. Nothing. He was not in the habit of doing evasive scans. In fact he did not like to even scan without a human's permission but he felt he needed to this time. Again a third time he reached out scanning, and this time he was rewarded with an eerie feeling in his circuits. Now never letting his optics waver from the six humans at the top of the steps, he stretched out his hand.

"Kamila, you should return."

Lights began glowing brighter and brighter, until too much power was could safely course through them. Bulbs began popping one by one running a course. Other sounds began permeating the air as the six humans dissipated into light that come bursting forth.

#####################################################################################

"We are never speaking of this again." Ratchet's glare encompassed the room as he straightened, shaking off more filament and tiny little sparkling shards of glass. That he had been duped by what he thought were humans was one thing but now they knew they were ghosts was another thing entirely.

The three humans still huddled together, as one by one the Autobots straighten stepping safely away from them. "I gotta go with Ratchet on this one." Epps brushed dust and shards from his shoulders as Lennox did the same thing leaving a visibly shaken Kamila.

"Yeah, we are definitely never ever talking about this _ever again." _She bit at her lip trying to keep her voice in check. Not that she could hide anything from the Autobots even if she wanted too.

#####################################################################################

Longarm, Wheeljack, Jazz, Sideswipe, Topspin, and Arcee created a barrier around the chasm as Ratchet studied the entombed van. There was nothing he or any of the others could do for the human remains. He stood his full stature, letting his gaze sweep around. He already knew there would be three not two living humans there. Optimus should never have left the curious scout with the equally curious human femme, not that the twins would have been a safer bet to leave anyone with.

Ratchet moved towards Optimus, Ironhide, the human femme, and Bumblebee. "There are only remains to account for six."

Ratchet watched the human femme shove her hands a little deeper into the jacket pockets.

"Optimus, I believe there were originally seven occupants."

Optimus listened to Ratchet, processing everything he wasn't saying as much as what he had said.

The humans had moved away looking at the detritus. Bumblebee joined them.

"The femme is not the seventh missing occupant." Ironhide replied.

"According to my calculations she is the appropriate age, but it would require analysis of the human DNA make up. To give my basic medical assessment-"Ratchet paused, he personally would not divulge what he suspected until the human femme decided for herself, if she really wanted to know.

"To think this all started on a Dark and Stormy night."


End file.
